Townleap

Cost of Living: Krakow vs Seville (2026)

Poland vs Spain — relocation comparison

Your passport:
Krakow
Seville
$976/mo
Rent

1BR centre

$980/mo
$23k/yr
Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$11k/yr
5 yr
PR path
5 yr
Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

Beckham Law (Régimen Especial), Startups Law — Entrepreneur & Freelancer Route into Beckham
Freelance setup
JDG
  • VAT-free under €47k
  • €450/yr accountant
WiseStripe
Autónomo
  • No VAT exemption
  • €1800/yr accountant
WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRSeville summers average 93°F vs 73°F. English is much more widely spoken in Krakow. Both cities will charge you about the same to exist.
Too close to call — 75 vs 72. Krakow has a slight edge, but Seville might suit you better depending on your priorities.
Household
Krakow
Metric
Seville
$639/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
lower is better
$491/mo
$4,044
🧳
Cost to land
lower is better
$4,952
82 / 100
🛡️
Settler safety
higher is better
85 / 100
0.4 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
lower is better
0.6 / 100k
6.5 / 100k
🚗
Road deaths
lower is better
3.5 / 100k
75 / 100
🚨
Safety Index
higher is better
63 / 100
73°F
☀️
Summer high
personal taste
93°F
25°F
❄️
Winter low
personal taste
45°F
88 Mbps
Internet speed
higher is better
27.7 μg/m³
🌬️
Air quality (PM2.5)
lower is better
9.4 μg/m³
73 / 100
🏥
Healthcare
higher is better
88 / 100
7.4 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
higher is better
8.1 / 10
4.2 / 9
🤝
Migrant acceptance
higher is better
7.4 / 9
18 / 100
🏳️‍🌈
Rainbow Index
higher is better
76 / 100
68/100
🗣️
Street English
higher is better
38/100
$51k
💼
GDP per capita (PPP)
higher is better
$58k
3.8% · Boringly steady
📈
Inflation
lower is better
2.8% · Boringly steady
65/100 — Patchy
Grid reliability
higher is better
82/100
🗽
Freedom House
higher is better
90/100
A median Software Engineer in Krakow takes home $4,450/mo under Standard employee. In Seville: $3,336/mo under Standard employee.
$1,115/mo more in Krakow
🎯 Seville's Beckham Law (Régimen Especial) isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $3,470/mo instead.
Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.
$91k
💰
Gross income
$60k
−$18k
🏛️
Income tax
Standard employee
−$16k
−$20k
🛡️
Social contributions
−$4k
$53k/yr
$4k/mo
💵
Take-home pay
$40k/yr
$3k/mo
−$30k
🏠
Cost of living
−$30k
$23k/yr
🐖
Annual savings
$11k/yr
Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

🗳️
Democracy
Seville
8.1/10 EIU index
☀️
Weather
73°F vs 93°F summers
🗣️
English
Krakow
higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

46% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
Sky clear
avg daytime
67% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
8.1h
Shortest day
Dec
9.6h
16.4h
Longest day
Jun
14.7h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

improving
Democracy trend
stable
improving
Inflation trend
improving
software-itbpogame-devtourism
Industries
active
Startup ecosystem
Moderate
🇺🇸 Your visa
Moderate
Easy
EU visa
Easy
Moderate
RU visa
Complex
Easy
UA visa
Moderate
Partner can work immediately
Spouse works
Not recognized
konkubinat (informal — no legal recognition)
Partner pathway
Conditional (1+ yr)
pareja de hecho

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

Life-threatening only
Abortion access
On request
Gestational limit
14 wk

Near-total ban since 2021. Only permitted for life/health threat or rape/incest. One of Europe's most restrictive.

On request up to 14 weeks. 2023 reform removed mandatory waiting period.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Not recognized
Marriage
Legal
Not allowed
Adoption
Joint adoption
Yes
Job protection
Yes
No
Hate crime law
Yes

Krakow vs Seville — Common Questions

Is Krakow cheaper than Seville?

Krakow is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $976/month there vs $980/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Krakow or Seville?

Krakow is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Krakow has a rate of 0.38 per 100,000 and Seville has 0.61 per 100,000.

Should I move to Krakow or Seville?

Too close to call — 75 vs 72. Krakow has a slight edge, but Seville might suit you better depending on your priorities. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Krakow or Seville?

Krakow: Poland Temporary Residence (moderate requirements, Up to 3 years). Seville: no specific remote work visa. See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Krakow or Seville?

Seville is warmer in summer (93°F vs 73°F). Krakow has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

Can I live in Krakow or Seville without speaking the local language?

Krakow is easier for street-level English (68/100) than Seville (38/100). That's the score that matters for doctors, landlords, and bureaucracy. Office English can still run higher than street English in both cities.

What's the cost of rent in Krakow vs Seville?

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $976/month in Krakow, $980/month in Seville (Numbeo). Rent is basically identical between the two.

Is Krakow or Seville better for democracy and rule of law?

Seville scores 8.1/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 7.4/10 for Krakow. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.

Is healthcare better in Krakow or Seville?

Seville scores higher on our composite healthcare index (88/100 vs 73/100 for Krakow). That score combines clinical outcomes (IHME), universal coverage (WHO), and resident perception (Numbeo) — not just whether hospitals exist but whether the system actually works for settlers.

Plot twist: other matchups exist

Maybe the real city was the comparisons we made along the way.

Let the algorithm judge you

2 min quiz — surprisingly accurate

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